Fabrication and Valuation of a PLA Nanocomposite Membrane: Mechanical, Thermal Stability, and Biodegradability

Although polylactic acid PLA has excellent properties such as good biocompatibility, excellent transparency, and non-toxicity for membrane synthesis, it has disadvantages such as poor mechanical properties, low elongation at break, low elasticity, and slow crystallization rate. To change the properties of PLA membranes, it would be effective to blend other biopolymers and fillers with PLA. In the present work, a biopolymer composite membrane was prepared by blending polybutylene succinate and polypropylene carbonate and then mixed with polyhydroxybutyrate and silica nanoparticles. Finally, it was combined with PLA. It is seen that the produced membranes had better elongation at break and lower tensile strength than pure PLA. The results of past work have shown that the PLA-containing biopolymers decrease the thermal stability because of the lower T. In contrast, the thermal stability increased when the biopolymers included silica NPs. Outcomes of biodegradability revealed that the composite membranes have better biodegradability than pure PLA. The weight loss of membranes without NPs was 38% and 49% under anaerobic and aerobic, respectively. In comparison, the weight loss of biopolymer-NPs membrane was obtained as 33% and 43% under anaerobic and aerobic, respectively.